Summer has started according to the calendars, though Spring seems to only taking hold in the last few days. The unquestionably warmer and more settled weather saw a huge increase in angling activity all across the country and there are plenty of encouraging reports from all branches of our sport. Coarse angling has picked up a few gears at last and sea angling too seems to be turning a corner as water temperatures increase.

Paul Strange from Carrick Fergus with this magnificent 209lb common skate
Paul Strange wins Catch of the Week with this magnificent 209lb common skate

Charter boat fishing is off to a great start this year and we have reports from north and south of the country. This week catch of the week goes to the biggest fish reported – a huge skate from Red Bay estimated to weigh 209lbs caught by Paul Strange who already had a skate of 139lbs earlier on the trip. At Kinsale good fishing has also been reported and anglers on the Silver Dawn met a lot of ling including one specimen of 27lb. A group of Dutch anglers had great fishing in Valentia too, and they had literally hundreds of pollack and coalfish. At a competition out of Kilmore quay last weekend fishing was reported to be good and one angler recorded an unusual fish – a lemon sole, the first reported to our offices in a number of years. Shore anglers and small boat anglers also enjoyed good fishing with bass anglers in particular doing well. Marks from Cork Harbour, where 15 bass were caught in one session,  to Inch Beach in Kerry, where a competition saw 47 bass to 49cm caught and released,  produced some great fishing last week.  East Cork marks and the Copper Coast are also producing bass. Anglers in Wexford are hoping to see bass fishing in their area pick up next.

There was some great salmon fishing for anglers on the Munster Blackwater in the last few days and Slaney is continuing to fish well with a lovely springer of 20lb caught and released there. Thirty-nine salmon were caught for the week at Ballisodare, and Mentalist Keith Barry proved the quality of angling in the West is no illusion. Good fishing was also reported on the Drowes and at Delphi where the salmon catch in 382,  and further to south on Lough Currane where brown trout appeared in catches in big numbers. Spring fishing on the Moy has begun to come into its own, with 28 salmon reported for the week. All hopes are that things will continue to improve into the month of May.

Hatches are well behind on Corrib, with olives only making their first appearances this week. Some fish have been spotted feeding just under the surface, presumably on olive nymphs, although in the windy conditions hatching fly were difficult to observe. Mask last week could only be described as “hot and cold”. The low air temperatures and relentless northerly winds have kept both angling and fly hatches to a minimum. Recent reports from the Loughs Conn and Cullen suggest there is as yet no sign of any mayfly hatch, although good hatches of Duckfly, and increasingly Olives have been observed. At Lough Sheelin the weekend was a struggle with no sight of an olive or a decent buzzer on either day, that said some lovely trout to 7lbs were reported earlier in the week. Lough Derravaragh holds a reasonably good stock of quality wild brown trout. The lake is very much under fished for trout and is well worth a visit when angling conditions suit; at competition fished on the weekend trout to 4.5lb were recorded.

Top weight on Day 2 of the Waterways Ireland Classic Festival at Enniskillen was 29kg 600g, landed on the productive Rossahilly section by London angler Peter Vasey, an improvement on the first day when the top weight of 14kg 500g was caught on the Ely Lodge section by Manchester angler Steve Priestley.  Good roach were reported from the Boyle River where a junior angler had a fine fish of 2lb 4oz and roach of almost 2lb also featured in catches on the River Inny. At the Lough in Cork big carp fed well in the settled conditions of the early part of the week and father and daughter team Dan and Sarah Lynch both had carp of around 15lbs.

Two Italian anglers had some great pike fishing across the midlands and on Lough Ree and have vowed to return to fish again. Pike to 18lbs 4oz were recorded at a recent competition on Lough Glore. Tourist anglers fishing with Kevin Lyons in Longford had some nice pike on light fly tackle but one had a nice surprise waiting for him when he decided to switch to Roach dead bait. Trotting a float fished dead roach just off the bottom he hooked into what he thought to be a good pike but it turned out to be a cracking trout of 6lb.

The last of the  public meetings  to canvass views on the major elements of new inland fisheries legislation, in advance of the statutory consultation period take place in Dublin at the Lucan Spa Hotel on Wednesday 8th May at 7pm.

Don’t forget Fisheries Awareness Week starts next weekend and with more than 50 events across 17 counties it’s got to be the best way to get some new started in angling. There are events dedicated to sea angling, pike angling, trout angling and coarse angling and salmon angling as well as family fun days, school days and more. With so much going on there’s sure to be something happening near you, so why not find out more inside…

Most importantly this week we want to make sure that all anglers reading this update are aware of the importance of safety when on the water. While angling is a sport everyone can enjoy there are steps that you can take to make sure all your memories remain happy ones. Please take time to read this information from Irish Water Safety ahead of the Bank Holiday weekend.

Tight lines,
Myles Kelly
Catch, Photo, Release

If you have an angling story to share with the Irish Angling Update please send it to [email protected].

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Fishing on Day 2 of the Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival 2013
Fishing on Day 2 of the Waterways Ireland Classic Fishing Festival 2013